Rack for holding paper bags.



Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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FRANK E. Davis, or rename, MICHIGAN.

citizen of the United States, residing Pontiac, in the county of Oakland, State of RACK FOR I-IOLDIN PAPER BAGS.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK E. DAVIS, a at Michigan, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Bucks tor Holding PaperBags; and I do declare the fol lowing to be a full, clear, and exact {description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref

erence being had to the accompanying drawlngs, and .to the characters oi reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to racks for holding paper bags, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts ashereinafter more fully setforthand pointed out particularly in the claims.

The object ofthe invention is to provide slmple, inexpensive and convenient means for holding paper bags of thestandard sizes .in common use by merchants, wherein the construction of the holder or rack is such as to accommodate any desired number of the various sizes of bags in a manner to permit the ready withdrawal of a single bag at a time, and automatically present the remaining bags in POSllZlOIl, for successive withdrawal.

The invention further provides for such a construction. as will enable the parts to .be made in a given or unit form to facilitate theflshippingthereof in a knock-down condition and provide for their ready assembling, whereby the joining of the membersis effected without the use of additional parts and the structure rendered practically selfatta ching.

. The above objects are attained by the employment of the construction and arrangement of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in wh ch:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rack comprisinga plurality of compartments, in which one ofthe compartments is shown filled withbags, as itwould appear in position for operation, Fig.12 is a transverse section throughone of the compartmentsof the rack, showing anumber of bags in position therein. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary per- .spective view of one end and. a portionuot Specification of Letters Patent.

Referring to the drawings by the charac ters of reference markedthereon, 1 designates an angular or polygonalshaped thin metal plate, 'Whichis employed in plurality 1n the manner of partitions to form a series Patented Dec. 8, 1914. Application filed February 6,1914. Serial No. 816,887.

of compartments Qthroughout thelcngth of 1 therack. Said partitions are sograduated in their spacing with relation to each other as to vary the Widths of :the compartments in a manner. to accommodate the various widths of the standard sizes of paper bags 3, the smallest size of which is shown in the end compartment of Fig. 1.

. The dividing plates 1 are of uniformsize and construction, and are preferably formed from thin sheet metal in the manner of a. stamping] The general shape of the plate,

whichis polygonous, comprises right angled edges upon opposite SlClOS of the plate, the

major portions 1 and 5 of which diverge at anacute angle to each other and terminate in.

a reduced obtuse angled end portion 6, while the minor portions 7 {macs respectively of the right-angled ,edgesof the plate extend at an obtuse angle to each other and terminate in a reduced rectangular extensioni) at the opposite end of said plate. Formed through the bodv of the plate, near the edge portion 4 thereof and substantially in a parallel line therewith, is a tapered aperture or slot 10, having a shoulder 11 extendinginto the slot in the plane of the plate at the upper or widest terminal point of said slot. Extendingthrough the end portion .6 of said plate, at right-angles to and intersectingthe tapered slot 10, is a tapered slot 12,

having a shoulder 13 extending into the slot in the plane of the plate at the widest terminal point of said slot. Formed through the plate 1 near the edge 5 thereof, and substantially parallel therewith, is a slot 14 which 1 extends from a point near the edge 8 of the plate to a point near the terminal point of the minor portion of the tapering slot 12.

The. rectangular extension 9 of the plate is 1 provided centrally therethrough with a vertical slot 15 which communicates with a circular aperture 16 formed through the body 'of the plate. The plates being thus formed are employed in multiple in iform ot partitions, which are suitably spaced at intervals and held in position by means of longitudinal strips of metal which are passed.

through and secured within the slots of the plates to tie the parts together in the form of a racln The bottom of the rack is formed by the employment of a sheet metal strip 17 of any desired length and of a width sufficiently less than the width of the tapered slot 12 of the plate to permit said strip to pass therethrough. The rear edge of the strip 17 is provided with a series of notches 18, spaced at graduated intervals of its length, each of which is adapted to receive a shoulder 13 of each dividing plate, whereby said strip is locked against end movement and said dividing plates are spaced apart to accommodate the various widths of bags to be contained therein. The back of the rack is formed in substantially the same manner by the insertion through the slots in the dividing plates of a back strip 19, which is provided with a series of notches 20 that engage the shoulders 11 of the slots 10 of said plates, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The front of the rack is provided with a strip 21 which is considerably narrower than the slots 14: of the dividing plates, through which it passes diagonally of the rack, and 3a is provided in its upper'edgewith a series of notches 22 that register with the dividing plates of the rack. The corners 23 of the notches 22 of said strip are turned outwardly in the form of shoulders that engage the edges of the slots 14 of said plates and hold said strip against end movement therein (see Fig. 1). One edge of the strip 21 rests in the lower'end of the slot 14: of one of the end plates of the rack, while the opaa posite end of said strip rests in the upper end of the slot 14 of the opposite end plate of the rack, thus disposing said strip in a diagonal or inclined position across the front of the rack and thereby varying the widths of the openings of the several compartments between the lower edge of said strip and the forward edge of the bottom or shelf 17 of the rack. By this arrangement, as the width ofthe compartments increases so to accommodate bags of larger sizes, the spaces between the lower edge of the front strip and the forward edge of the bottom strip forming openings 24 into the compartments, through which the bags are withdrawn, are increased proportionately, as

clearly shown in Fig. 1.

To provide for suspending the rack so as to place it in a position for ease of access when in use, a metal bar 25, having notches 26 in the upper edge thereof, is inserted through the apertures 16 of the dividing plates 1 into the'slots 15, so as to cause the jnotches of said bar to engage the ends of the "slots in the extended portions 9 of said plates, andthus locking said bafagainstend dividing strip and;

movement and also serving to uniformly and firmly support the dividing plates of the rack thereon. The ends of said supporting bar are provided with apertures 27 through which wire strands 28 are looped and secured to a suitable overhead support, not shown, (see Fig. 1).

The rack being thus constructed and sup ported is in condition for the reception of paper bags of the varying sizes which are The back-turned portion 8' of the outermost bag is disposed within the opening 24 of the compartment in such position as to enable said folded-back portion to be conveniently grasped for the withdrawal of the bag through said opening. The body portion of the bag when withdrawn passes outwardly beneath the lower edge of the front strip of the rack. The next succeeding bag will be crowded into position for withdrawal through the opening by the weight of the remaining bags which abut at their lower ends against the inner face of the inclined back strip 19 of the rack, whereby they will be caused by gravity to successively feed down into the position occupied by the bag previously removed.

It will be observed that as the bags are withdrawn from the rack their lower ends will be caused to travel upwardly overthe inclined surface of the bottom strip of the rack before passing out over the edge thereof, and that therefore each bag is retarded against an outward movement through the opening until a sufficient drawing strain is applied to carry its lower end up and over said inclined surface, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. in which a few of the bags are shown in section in the rack, and the space to be occupied by the bags when a compartmentis filled is indicated by dotted lines.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A rack for paper bags comprising a plurality of dividing plates spaced apart, an inclined bottom strip extending transversely through said dividing plates and secured thereto. a back strip extending transversely through andsecured to said dividing plates in contact with said bottom strip and oppo- "sitely inclined thereto, a. front strip extendingdiagonally through and secured to said plates spaced from said bottom 'ispo'sed anincline to the plla-ne of said strip, and a strip for suspending said rack extending transversely through said dividing plates above said inclined strips.

2. A rack for paper bags comprising a plurality of dividing plates spaced apart and having a series of slots formed transversely therethrough at varying angles to each other, parallel cross strips passing through certain of said slots and having notches in the edges thereof registering with and engaging the end portions of the slots of said plates, and a cross strip passing diagonally through the other of said slots and having notches in the'edge thereof engaging the side portions of said slots, whereby said plates and strips are locked together.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 3. A rack for paper bags comprising dividing plates, tapered slots formed transversely through said plates and having shoulders at their widest ends projecting into said slots in the plane of said plates,

FRANK E. DAVIS:

Witnesses:

B. F. WHEELER, M. ELBROESAMLE.

five cents each. by;address1ng the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (3.? i 

